Magical Winter

“Does every bride get to that stage where they start to over evaluate things and become extra critical of things they’ve never even thought about before?! For example, I’ve started to wonder if my hair should be lighter or darker (not sure but I have made a hair appointment), are my teeth white enough (probably but I’ve bought a new toothpaste and whitening strips after some good google investigating), the thoughts just keep coming….

Anyway, the table plan was the last thing on the to do list and that’s been sorted this past week. I reckon it took longer to write the names down on paper than it did to actually work out where everyone was going to sit! All the tables look like they’re going to be a hoot!

My chicken party eventually went underway over the weekend…when everyone asked what I wanted to do for a hen I said, go somewhere warm, maybe camping or a festival, something along those lines! Unfortunately it’s not quite the right season for something warm or camping so we thought we could have a wee chicken party for now and a hen in the summer!

I was told to arrive for 8 and wear my holiday clothes. I saw two round balloons and one not so round balloon (if you get what I’m saying) stuck on the door, so I knew we were in the right place! I snuck in and everyone was dressed like they were going to the beach, there were inflatable palm trees and they’d even made a wee beach scene photo area to use! Everyone bought a plate and even though I’ve lost my appetite while not feeling great, I’m pretty sure I made a good dent in all the munchies everyone had brought along!

There was someone making mojitos constantly and the holiday tunes were flowing. YT and Megs called everyone together and I was put into a banana leaf skirt and they had printed me a special top. There is a running joke from when we first got together; basically we were pretty much going out but I wasn’t ready to admit that and everyone used to love winding me up saying I saw your boyfriend etc. and I always turned around and said ‘he is NOT my boyfriend!’. So on the front of my top it said ‘He is NOT my boyfriend’ and on the back it said ‘He’s gonna be my husband’! They gave me a basket full of goodies too including a personalised robe for getting ready and a new husband voodoo doll! They also put together a photoshop quiz game. Questions like, what was our first date, where did we meet, what did we want to be when we grew up. They had asked Chris for his answers earlier then asked me for mine to see if they matched up. We actually did pretty well, we both got most of them right!

It was great to get everyone together and even though I wasn’t feeling 100%, I still had a great time so thank you to everyone who helped to put that together!

Chris is out this evening on his SECOND stag for those who couldn’t make the first -yes I’ve also given up getting that paragraph from him. I probably don’t want to know about his stag anyway!

My mum has arrived along with a few of the other overseas contingient (I wish some of them would bring the sunshine with them)! We’ve organised a pre-wedding mixer at a local pub this week for all the family and friends to get together to break the ice. Chris’s sister Dawn is doing all of our nails on Wednesday and I’ll get some tan on and get the rest of the beautifying underway over the next few days and then it will be time for action!

I was in talks with the Dakota this week and they have been so helpful, putting all the bridal party close together in the hotel and they even gave my mum a wee upgrade! Can’t complain with that can you!! Chris and I are really looking forward to checking into the Dakota and the G&V!!

We popped over to Hopetoun House for a wee run through last Friday. Chris went over to the ballroom and after a few technical difficulties, they got my dad’s speech all checked out and ready for the day. Meanwhile, I was over in the stables literally pacing up and down the aisle trying to calm down and get used to it. Once we were all back together we did a wee practise with the music and when the flower girls stopped pretending they were shy they floated down the aisle with their wedding walk, followed by the bridesmaids and finally myself and my mum. I was already losing it before we went out and pretty much ran down the aisle – which felt like the length of a small runway when I was walking it!! Chris was getting a bit emosh waiting for me and I was only wearing jeans and a jacket. Haha! What are we going to be like when were all suited and booted!! Kleenex anyone?!

As the days have gone by and as my health has started to improve, my anxiety levels have begun to rise!!! I’m not nervous about getting married, it’s just the fact that EVERYONE is going to be looking me and I’ll probably face plant it up the aisle or accidently swear during the vows!

I finally got my massage – yes I’ve been dreaming of this. I was thinking calming music, nice relaxing massage right?! NO! I got every single knot and bit of tension worked right out! At one point I felt like my bones were being massaged and it got to that stage I thought if they touch that pressure point one more time I’m going to vomit on your shoes! We only have a couple of days left until the wedding and all my newly married friends assure me that I will sleep for months after so I guess I can relax then!

It’s hard to believe that we were on our way over to Australia for the first time earlier this year and I was blissfully unaware that Chris had a ring packed safely in his bag – it’s the only thing he’s ever successfully kept secret from me! I was still getting used to the fact Chris had asked me to marry him and that we were engaged at the start of the summer. Only a few weeks after that I was making the phone call to a drunken Chris on a rugby tour in Canada, to check he was ok with us being in the WFIL competition. NOW in 48 hours I’ll be waking up and probably freaking out, drinking far to much, far too early in the morning and getting ready in all my finery before heading to Hopetoun House to be getting married!!

The next time we chat, we will be MR and MRS – HOLY SMOKES!!!!”